User blog:El Alamein/Denham's Expedition vs. the Monuments Men
It's a battle between two daring bands of adventurers and heroes as Denham's Expedition, the crew of Carl Denham's film project who braved their way through Skull Island and subdued the legendary King Kong, takes on the Monuments Men, the passionate art-lovers-turned-Nazi-fighters who rescued Europe's greatest treasures from the hands of the Third Reich! It'll be a brutal contest of brains and brawn, but when the dust clears and the last echo of a gunshot fades away, only one team will be the deadliest warriors! Denham's Expedition Carl Denham was an unethical filmmaker from New York at the height of the Great Depression. In an effort to realize his greatest project yet (and to escape punishment for his financial crimes) he hires the crew of the S.S.'' Venture'' to travel to Skull Island. After fighting off a brutal attack from the island's native inhabitants, the crew mounts a daring rescue mission once it becomes apparent the leading lady of Denham's project, Ann Darrow, was kidnapped as a sacrifice to Kong, an enormous gorilla that rules the island. Denham's expedition quickly becomes a battle for survival as dinosaurs, giant insects, the great beast Kong himself force the men to pay in blood for every inch pushed forward. Finally, they find and resscue Ann, and subdue Kong long enough to transport him back to New York City, where Denham hopes to rake in a profit at the gorilla's expense. Jack Driscoll Jack Driscoll was a playwright hired as a screenwriter for Carl Denham's film, but quickly rallies the weary men of the expedition once the mission to rescue Ann Darrow begins. Leading the group through such perils as a brontosaurus stampede, piranhodon-infested waters, and a chasm filled with enormous, mutated insects. He personally rescues Ann from the clutches of Kong, leading him back to an ambush for the beast prepared by Denham. Once back in New York City, Driscoll races up the Empire State Building after Kong carries Ann up, arriving to escort her back down in the aftermath of the climactic airplane showdown. Ben Hayes Ben Hayes was a World War I veteran and the first mate onboard the S.S. Venture. He serves as a leader with Driscoll on the rescue party for Ann, using his Army training and combat experience to good effect against the natives and, later, the creatures of Skull Island. He also mentors Jimmy and is something of a father figure for the young boy. While attempting to cross a log that spans a deep chasm, Hayes is scooped up by Kong. While attempting to shoot Kong with his pistol, Hayes is thrown across the log and into a cliff wall, sending him spiraling to his death in the chasm below. Captain Englehorn Captain Englehorn was the German captain of the S.S. Venture. A no-nonsense and grizzled individual, he barely tolerates Denham's underhandedness and expresses disdain for the director. He organizes the rescue party for Ann out of a sense of obligation, and saves Driscoll, Denham, and Denham's film crew from execution by the natives of Skull Island. He later arrives to help the crew out of the chasm as they desperately fight off the creatures that lurk within. After Kong's sedation and capture, Englehorn transports the great beast back to New York. Jimmy Jimmy was an orphan and a stowaway who was caught on the S.S. Venture. ''Ben Hayes defended him, though, earning him a place on board as a crew member. Jimmy is resourceful, using his small stature to his advantage, and looks up to Hayes as a father figure. He feels like he has something to prove, wanting nothing more than to fight side-by-side with Hayes. After Hayes' death, Jimmy is devastated and seeks to avenge his death, taking it out on the creatures of Skull Island that attempt to feast on Hayes' body as it lies in the chasm. He survives this ordeal and assists in the sedation and capture of Kong. Lumpy the Cook '''Lumpy' was the cook on the S.S. Venture (and also the barber and surgeon). Tough and grizzled, much like Englehorn, he fights across Skull Island with the crew as they search for Ann Darrow. Somewhat aggressive, he echoes the sentiments of much of the crew in general as they become more and more dispirited over time. After Kong throws the crew down the chasm as they attempt to cross it on a log, he is killed and eaten by leech-like creatures. Weapons |-| Long Range= Mauser Gewehr 1898 *500 m effective range *5-round internal magazine (fed by stripper clips) *Bolt-action *7.92x57mm Mauser |-| Mid Range= M1928 Thompson *50 m effective range *50-round drum magazine *600-725 rds/min *.45 ACP |-| Close Range= Luger P08 "Artillery" *50 m effective range *8-round detachable box magazine *Extended 8-inch barrel *9x19mm Parabellum |-| Melee= Machete *18-inch blade *Single-edged *1.4 lbs Monuments Men As the Second World War rages fiercely, Frank Stokes expresses concern at the Nazi practice of stealing or destroying works of art across Europe. He is authorized to lead a unit, the Monuments Men, made up of art historians, museum directors, and other knowledgeable individuals, whose mission is to reclaim the art from the Nazis. Linking up with French resistance members, the Monuments Men capture Nazi officers involved in the transport of art and recover such pieces as the Ghent Altarpiece and works from the Rothschild Collection. They encounter a mine laden with works of art (as well as gold teeth extracted from Holocaust victims), and are able to secure and recover the valuables even as the Soviet Red Army races in to secure some of it for themselves. After the war, Lieutenant Stokes continues to search for art treasures still hidden by the Nazis. Lt. Frank Stokes Lt. Frank Stokes was the leader of the Monuments Men and one of its most vocal supporters, arguing that the loss of priceless works of art would be one of the most significant casualties of the Second World War. After organizing his unit and taking it through training, he struggles to convince other US Army officers of the importance of his assignment, often finding his work hampered by the refusal of friendly soldiers to cooperate. He discovers a series of tunnels hidden by the Nazis in mines which contains the majority of the stolen artwork, and continues to oversee the recovery of art in Europe after the war ends. Lt. James Granger Lt. James Granger worked as an undercover operative for the Monuments Men in occupied France, collaborating with French museum curator Claire Simone. As he struggles to gain her trust, he continues to work with the French resistance. Eventually, he is able to win her over when he discovers the Nazis intend to destroy all "German possessions" (including the stolen art) if Hitler is killed or Germany surrenders. He also returns a painting taken from a Jewish family to its place in their now-empty household. He discovers the Nazi tunnels with Stokes and survives a landmine encounter within. Sgt. Richard Campbell Sgt. Richard Campbell was an aging museum curator recruited by Lt. Stokes into the Monuments Men. Working in Belgium, stationed near the Ghent Cathedral, he tries to track down stolen works (notably the Van Eyck altarpiece). Thanks to a stroke of luck, he encounters and apprehends Nazi officer Stahl, who was responsible for the transport of the stolen art to Nazi Germany. He recovers pieces from the Rothschild Collection in the process. Sgt. Walter Garfield Sgt. Walter Garfield was an expert in the field of art before he joined up with the Monuments Men. Working closely with French resistance member Jean-Claude Clermont, he survives a tense sniper encounter with a soldier who turns out to be a scared child with a rifle. Shaken after the event, he and Clermont wind up in the middle of a gun battle between forces of the US military and the Germans. Garfield transports an injured Clermont out of the fight in an effort to find assistance, but the Frenchman dies of his wounds. Jean-Claude Clermont Jean Claude-Clermont was a member of the French resistance during the Second World War who collaborated with the Monuments Men in an effort to help them recover the stolen art from the Nazis. He worked with Sgt. Walter Garfield, where they avoided death at the hands of a child sniper (and avoided killing the kid in the process). As they drive along the bocage (the dense hedgerows of the French countryside), camouflaged American and German soldiers open fire, trapping Clermont and Garfield in the crossfire. Clermont is fatally injured, dying shortly after Garfield drives them to safety. Weapons |-| Long Range= M1 Carbine *270 m effective range *15-round detachable box magazine *Semi-automatic *.30 Carbine |-| Mid Range= M1A1 Thompson *50 m effective range *20-round box magazine *600-725 rds/min *.45 ACP |-| Close Range= Colt M1911 *50 m effective range *7-round detachable box magazine *5-inch barrel *.45 ACP |-| Melee= KA-BAR Knife *7-inch blade *Single-edged, clip point *0.7 lbs X-Factors |-| Leadership= Denham's Expedition: 68 Monuments Men: 79 Denham's Expedition suffered from the faulty leadership of Carl Denham, who would stop at nothing to complete his film, even if it meant sacrificing the lives of his crew in the process. While Driscoll, Hayes, and Englehorn stepped up and led the men on the mission to rescue Ann, Denham hampered their capacity to lead the whole time. Lt. Frank Stokes, being a former art museum director, might not have the greatest tactical mind, but he provided much stronger leadership for his team. |-| Training= Denham's Expedition: 56 Monuments Men: 77 Most of Denham's crew members are sailors or adventurers with little formal training (the notable exception being Hayes, a World War I Army veteran). The Monuments Men are no special forces themselves, but at least they went through basic training and, as such, gained a better appreciation for tactics and weaponry. |-| Combat Experience= Denham's Expedition: 85 Monuments Men: 66 Here is where Denham's expedition stands out--not only did they successfully fight off Skull Island's hostile natives on their own turf, but they held their own against the island's vastly-evolved dinosaurs, mutated insects, and even the great beast Kong himself, eventually subduing him and dragging him back to New York in chains. The Monuments Men did engage in combat a few times over the course of the war, but each time they ended up losing one of their members, and their primary objectives relied mostly on espionage anyway. |-| Tactics= Denham's Expedition: 82 Monuments Men: 85 This is a close one, but the Monuments Men narrowly win out. While Denham's crew did demonstrate tactical capabilities while tracking Ann and, later on, while preparing an ambush for Kong, their job was made easier by the fact that their opponents were primarily animals. The Monuments Men, on the other hand, had to constantly outwit the military intelligence branch of Nazi Germany that was responsible for the transport of stolen art--no small feat right there. |-| Logistics= Denham's Expedition: 87 Monuments Men: 95 Both teams score well here. Denham's expedition is well-stocked thanks to the small armory on board the S.S. Venture, which includes dozens of rifles and submachine guns along with enough ammo to last for the entire trek across Skull Island. However, the Monuments Men benefit from supply at the hands of the US military during World War II, ensuring that they would never want for weapons or ammo. |-| Killer Instinct= Denham's Expedition: 90 Monuments Men: 69 Denham's expedition is a bunch of grizzled sailors and adventurers who have watched their friends be eaten or torn to pieces by dinosaurs and other monstrous creatures. They were able to slaughter the Skull Island natives after recovering from the initial shock of the ambush and cut their way through the island, killing anything that got in their path. The Monuments Men are mostly behind-the-lines type soldiers, who try to avoid killing when at all possible (as evidenced with Garfield's encounter with the child sniper). Still, if they are given no choice, the Monuments Men would be able to kill an opponent--it's just not their default combat state. |-| Endurance / Physicality= Denham's Expedition: 88 Monuments Men: 71 The Monuments Men did endure basic training, which strengthened their combat readiness, but many of them are old and out-of-shape. Denham's expedition was primarily composed of able-bodied sailors and adventurers, and they made a labor-intensive and perilous trek across the tropical Skull Island, where the very enviornment was a threat. Battle Sicily The tide was calm for once, noted Lieutenant Frank Stokes, as he leaned against a stack of sturdy wooden crates piled up on the beach. Inside were mounds of gold, art, and treasure--liberated from the retreating Nazi forces and saved from an almost guaranteed fate, ignobly dynamited by the Fascists to prevent their safe return. Stokes wiped sweat from his brow and exhaled slowly, letting the late morning sun warm his face. Sergeant Richard Campbell walked over to Stokes, his M1 carbine slung over his shoulder. "Some break, huh?" he commented drily. "Y'know, Campbell, you definitely seemed reluctant to come on this mission when I first called you up," said Stokes. "We're certainly past our prime," replied Campbell. "Even so--you still came. Looking back, do you have any regrets about it?" From behind the two men came a grunt and a dull thud. Campbell looked over his shoulder at Sgt. Walter Garfield, sweating profusely and struggling to gain traction as he staggered up the loose sand. "Garfield, maybe." *** A few hours later, the Monuments Men had got most of the valuables loaded up on US Army trucks and transported to relative safety. A few boxes full of the stuff remained piled around the beach, but it wasn't enough to warrant an entire unit standing around guarding it (at least, not according to Stokes' superiors, much to his chagrin). For the couple of hours or so until the transports returned, the Monuments Men were on their own. Over the horizon a small dark dot bobbed up and down on the water. Jean-Claude Clermont squinted and pointed off to it. "You guys see that?" he asked. "Looks like some ship coming our way." None of the other Monuments Men, aside from Lt. James Granger, could see well enough to identify the ship until it was much closer to the shore, but by then it was evident this was no combat-capable craft. "It's probably some fishermen or something... I dunno." Granger turned dismissively and walked back to the stack of boxes. On board the S.S. Venture, Captain Englehorn stood out on the deck with Carl Denham, who excitedly pointed to the shoreline. "There, see? I told you we'd find the artifacts! This'll be great to capture on film!" Englehorn looked with annoyance at the movie director. "Every time we follow your lead, Denham, people die." Lumpy the Cook, who was busy readying a rowboat to disembark, snorted. "Come on, Englehorn! There'll be some soddy old guards that we'll distract long enough to get a couple reels in, and we'll be out before they know it!" Denham's Expedition: The Monuments Men: Garfield and Campbell stood up warily and waited as two rowboats full of armed men left the Venture and began to approach the shore. "Hey, Lieutenant... those guys are armed," said Garfield. He readied his M1, removing the sling from his shoulder and dropping his finger next to the trigger. "What's that now?" Lt. James Granger walked over, clapping his hand down on Garfield's shoulder from behind. The old man jumped at the touch, and his finger slipped, pulling down hard on the trigger. "Oh, Christ, it was an accident," Garfield started to say, moments before a rifle round from the rowboat tore through his throat in response. The M1 fell into the sand with a dull thud. Garfield reached a shaking hand up to gingerly touch the wound, blood pouring from his open mouth, before he sank to the ground dead. Granger looked up, shocked, as a second round sped by his head, missing by inches and kicking up sand several feet behind him. "Incoming!" shouted Stokes, ducking down behind the crates of art they were sworn to protect. He aimed down the sight of his rifle and fired off several shots in rapid succession. One of them snapped inches away from the lens of Denham's camera as the manic director frantically recorded as much footage as he could get. "My camera!" shouted Denham in despair, moments before Lumpy, at the oars, pulled him down. "Forget the camera, man! We have bigger issues to deal with!" The rowboats made it to the shore, and the men of Denham's Expedition ran sharply to the left, making for a pile of boulders in front of a tank obstacle. Driscoll rattled off a magazine from the Thompson to suppress his teammates as the Monuments Men concentrated their fire. As Denham cowered behind cover, Lumpy the Cook grabbed a Mauser from the director's grasp and stood up. Aiming briefly, he fired a shot and reached up to pull back the bolt on the weapon. Firing again, he scored a hit on Jean-Claude Clermont, who had been shooting his M1 Carbine. The bullet grazed his shin and sent the French soldier to the ground, grabbing at his leg. Grunting in satisfaction, Lumpy looked down to pull the bolt back again before Richard Campbell shot him in the upper chest. Lumpy fell forward, out of cover, and as Hayes and Englehorn stood to drag their injured friend back behind the rocks, Granger opened fire with his Thompson. Hayes and Englehorn were forced to duck back behind the rocks as the rounds danced around their position. At this point, Lumpy had gone into shock--his face was pale and the sand beneath him was stained heavy and dark with his blood. "I'm out!" panted Driscoll, his face slick with sweat, pointing at his Thompson. "There's more ammunition in the boats!" shouted Hayes. "Denham--I need you to go grab Jack some drums! We'll cover you! Go!" Denham looked up in a panic as Jimmy, Hayes, and Englehorn popped out from cover, firing with their rifles. The ferocity of their fire temporarily forced the Monuments Men to duck behind their crates, but Denham still hadn't moved. Hayes set down his rifle and unholstered his Colt M1911, letting loose a more concentrated stream of fire as he yelled, "DENHAM! NOW!" Driscoll, in despair, pushed Denham to the side and made a break for the rowboats. "There--there, by the rowboats!" shouted Frank Stokes. Granger turned his Thompson toward the exposed man, as Stokes turned his M1 Carbine to the pile of rocks. By now Clermont had picked himself up, steadying his injured leg against the crates, and leaned up with his rifle. As Hayes dropped the spent magazine of his pistol and slid in a fresh one, the Frenchman fired once. The round went clean through Hayes' head, scooping out his brains and sending them across the faces of his horrified teammates. Clermont pulled the trigger again but the rifle had run dry. "We need more ammo," he called. "Stokes, the ammunition crates are further up the beach, behind the art." "All right--cover me!" shouted Stokes, as he turned to break from cover. Upon seeing his father figure die so suddenly and violently, Jimmy was thrown into a grief-filled fury. Throwing aside his gun, he picked up a machete from the fallen figure of Lumpy and charged up the beachhead. At that moment, Jack had recovered ammo from the rowboat and loaded a fresh magazine into his Thompson. Clermont leaned out from cover just in time to be tackled to the ground by the fanatical Jimmy. Clermont reached across his chest to grab at his KA-BAR knife, but Jimmy was on him in an instant. With the first powerful downward strike, Clermont's wrist was nearly severed, the hand hanging on by a few tattered strands of shredded flesh. Before he could even shout in pain, Clermont received a second blow to the face that nearly cleaved his skull in half lengthwise. Completely carried away in his battle frenzy, Jimmy continued to rain blows on the Frenchman's body. As Driscoll and Englehorn started to advance along the beach, Campbell started to fall back, taken aback by Jimmy's ferocity. Granger, on the other hand, opened fire with his Thompson. The sheer volume of the bullets that slammed into Jimmy's body sent the young boy staggering backward several steps, his chest and stomach erupting into a bloody pulp, before he crashed into one of the wooden crates piled up and fell on top of them. Just as quickly, Captain Englehorn was on Granger, cracking him hard on the head with his Luger. Granger fell hard, stunned, and dropped the Thompson, right as Englehorn grabbed him by the front of the shirt collar and forced the lengthened barrel of the Luger into his eye. Granger started to shout in pain before two point-blank shots silenced him. As Stokes reached the far end of the beachhead by the ammo crates, he turned to find Campbell almost upon him. "We need to fall back," he said urgently. "They hit us real hard!" Stokes pulled out his pistol and gripped his knife with his other hand. Pointing to the crates, he motioned for Campbell to duck down for an ambush. As Driscoll and Englehorn approached warily, Stokes stood up with his pistol and shot, hitting Englehorn straight in the chest. Englehorn took two steps back in shock, but recovered long enough to raise his Luger and fire wildly, sending several bullets through the crates. One of these shots randomly went through right to where Campbell was hiding. Stokes looked down briefly before composing himself and finishing off the wounded Englehorn with his Colt. By this time, Driscoll had closed the distance. As Stokes turned and pointed his gun at the adventurer, Driscoll grabbed his arm and raised it up. Stokes' shot went high and he was quickly overpowered by his younger and stronger adversary. Driscoll pinned Stokes' arm against his throat and pushed hard, cutting off his air supply. Stokes pushed back long enough to splutter out, "We were only trying to protect the last bastions of beauty in this godforsaken war." Driscoll frowned before he leaned forward more firmly, strangling his opponent. "Yeah. Art," he said. "I've seen what it makes men do. I've seen what it's done to men. There are better men gone now because of it. "Not an even trade, if you ask me." *** Denham shakily stood out in the center of the beach, cradling his camera as it recorded the now-quiet waves. The Venture bobbed up and down in the distance. "Had it heard the sounds of the battle?" wondered Driscoll as he approached the shoreline. Denham turned, his face pale and drawn, before recognizing Driscoll. "Oh Jack, thank God," he began, but Driscoll pushed past him, and walked over to the camera. With a cry of rage and grief, he picked up Denham's prized possession and hurled it into the waves that lapped hungrily at the sand. Expert's Opinion While the Monuments Men had newer weapons and arguably better teamwork, Denham's Expedition was in better physical shape and had superior combat experience thanks to their time on Skull Island. When it came down to it, the younger and more experienced warriors were able to keep fighting long after their older and greener opponents had tired out, enabling them to fight harder and secure victory. 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